Tag: houghton college

Categories
Stories In Focus

Fitting In: Transfer Students’ Experiences

Cindy Austin, the Transfer Admission Counselor at Houghton College, loves her job. Officially, she works with students who are trying to make the transition to Houghton from another school. Unofficially, she is also the go-to information source for transfer students who are already enrolled and on campus.

“I’ll get calls from students all the time,” said Austin. “They’ll say something like ‘Hey, remember me, the student who wanted to transfer here? Well, I’m here now, and I need a ride home for Thanksgiving, what do I do?’” Laughing, she explained that helping transfer students who are already here, in addition to getting them here in the first place, is what makes her job fulfilling.

With the rate that transfers are coming in, however, Austin’s phone could well be ringing off the hook. According to a report by the New York Times, roughly one third of students who enroll in a four-year institution will transfer at some point during their college experience, and that rate is increasing each year.

The percentage of Houghton students that have transferred from another school have hovered around five percent since 2009. However, the college is likely to see the amount of incoming transfer students rise as the trend around the nation continues.

Austin believes that students may choose to transfer to Houghton after starting their college career elsewhere because of finances. “The majority of our transfers wanted to come here in the first place,” said Austin. “However, if the student is successful in academics, attending community college can basically be free. It’s difficult to compete with free tuition,” she explained. “So what we’re seeing now is an interest from students who have already completed their integrative study requirements in community college and now want to be a part of our major programs here.”

Junior Neal Fahey, who transferred to Houghton after attending Utica Community College, backed up Austin’s statement. “I originally wanted to come here because of the emphasis on faith,” said Fahey. “I just didn’t have the finances…God had plans for me here, so thankfully He drew me back and made it work.”

Of course, it can be difficult to transition to a different environment, as well as getting used to Houghton’s high standards for academics. So Houghton has taken steps to help transfer students adapt. “We are very gracious with transferred credits, so students don’t have to worry about taking classes they’ve already had,” said Austin. In addition, a required class called Transitions for Transfers was specifically designed to help students meet others and get acclimated into the culture of Houghton.

Angela Poblocki, a senior who transferred from St. John Fisher to finish her degree at Houghton, had mixed feelings about the class: “The Transitions class is a great way to meet other transfers, but it isn’t the most effective in building relationships,” she said. “The class enables us to be in one classroom together, but the interaction between the transfer students is limited…I wish the Transfer Transitions class had more group discussions with students, instead of just a speaker to the class.”

What Cindy Austin would encourage prospective students to do is apply to both community college and Houghton coming out of high school. “I think they would be surprised with how much we can help with the financial aspect,” said Austin. In the meantime, Austin will continue to help transfer students make the transition, officially or otherwise.

 

Categories
Arts

Homecoming Spot 2013 Review

SPOT hosts Hannah Lily and Will Strowe made their way on stage in sweatshirts and sweatbands, in a tribute to Sylvester Stallone’s “Rocky”, to kick start the 2013 Homecoming SPOT this past Saturday. A new spin on the structure of SPOT featured student acts of talent along with the usual videos, skits, dances, and songs that elicited laughter – for the most part. This year’s addition of crowd questionnaires filled in the awkward gaps between acts and kept the crowd engaged, while the surprise stage visits of Houghton graduate celebrities “Beardo” and “Dreads” kept the audience on their toes. From ‘What Does the Fox Say?” to raps to German accents, SPOT displayed a broad array of talents and wit from faculty and students alike.

SPOTCAB was two for two in their video contributions; their “Valentine’s Day” movie trailer depicted the almost inexhaustible joke of awkward Houghton couples and revealed the identity of stars within our midst. Their “Valentine’s Day” video was followed up by a rendition of “The Hunger Games” in which Sodexo kept a careful eye on the fruit to student ratio. First year students were comforted in their fight against the freshmen 15 by Hanz and Franz’s “Buddy Workout” video. The final contender in the video section, a remake of the recently viral YouTube music video “What Does the Fox Say?,” did not disappoint in its ridiculous hilarity and continuously perplexing question: what does the fox say?

While the SPOT videos were largely accepted as solid contributions to the expected humor of the night, the skits faired a harsher fate. Alumni Derrick Tennant, ‘93, received a mixed reaction to his lengthy stand-up comedy act; half the time the audience was unsure whether to laugh or “aww” at the jokes that more often than not poked fun at his own partial paralysis. Other skits, while possibly written with good intentions of entertainment, made light of serious issues and events that crossed the line into rudeness and insensitivity.

The new inclusion of purely talent acts was most evidently displayed in the dance performances. The audience was impressed by the skills stepped, jigged, lept, and tapped across the stage, such as when a student trio performed a tap from the Broadway musical “Newsies.” And while there was no stepping, jigging, leaping, or tapping done by the goat brought in for Taylor Swift’s song “Trouble”, he was an automatic crowd pleaser.

An historical crowd favorite, Danny Kim came back to his former glory as a “big deal” with a rap performance that, despite slip-ups, was carried off with style by him and Cory Martin. “Matilda Jane” however displayed less style and more confusion – who is Matilda Jane again? And no doubt was left in anyone’s mind what dessert the Hardy twins ask for their birthday. Modified songs from Hercules, Veggie Tales, Pitch Perfect, and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon vocalized the musical talents and creativity of various students; and Dean Jordan apparently originated from Mt. Olympus not Philadelphia, as previously understood.

While some acts fell flat of their intended comedic effect, resulting in boredom or downright offense, homecoming spirits created an atmosphere of camaraderie and geniality that encompassed both the audience and performers.

 

Categories
Arts

Houghton Hires New Photography Professor

Houghton welcomed 11 new faculty members this year, including new photography and digital imaging professor, Ryann Cooley.  Professor Cooley comes to Houghton after several stints as a photographer in both the advertising and missionary fields.

However, before pursuing his career in photography, Cooley worked as a financial planner. In the late 80s, on what is known as Black Monday, the stock market crashed and Cooley marks this as the start of a series of events that happened in his life where he said God started speaking in his life, “convicting [him] of [his] motivations for being in the financial sector.” After the revelation that money was his “primary motivation”, Cooley said that he realized he could “only serve one master”, something which “shook [his] world.”

Cooley_RyannEventually Cooley stepped away from the financial sector and said that this time in his life was one without “a sense of direction, motivation, or drive.” The next six months were spent in prayer, Cooley said, almost “like [he] was in a monastery.” This intense period of prayer ultimately left Cooley with a dream in which he was “a photographer for missionaries, traveling the world to document various missions” as a graduate of Brooks Institute, a school he heard about in high school.

Initially following his dream, Cooley contacted Brooks Institute and learned that both the tuition and admission requirements were out of reach. Dismayed, he began to look elsewhere. Yet a month later he received a call from Brooks offering him admission and scholarship. After being accepted into the undergraduate program at the Brooks Institute under the Alumni Scholarship Program, Cooley immediately enrolled and successfully completed his degree. Following his graduation, he began to contact missionaries to see if he could come along on their missions and take photos. When Cooley was denied these opportunities, he said his next step was to “go and make a name for [himself] as a photographer,” so he moved to New York City, “the hub of photography”, in order to do so.

In NYC, Cooley worked as an assistant photographer for several years with his first client being Levi’s. His work in advertising gradually grew and was followed by an opportunity to shoot for a Presbyterian mission organization while they were on a mission in Mexico for three weeks, an opportunity Cooley said he “jumped at.” His work with missions organizations continued with groups like the Arab World Missions in Morocco and the International Bible Society based in Colorado Springs.

Following the birth of his son and the start of his family, Cooley said that his career direction changed. “My dream had come true,” he said, and it was now time to return to the advertising world, which Cooley said he sees as “much [of] a mission field” as those he had worked in before, calling advertising a “foreign country itself.” In 2012, after a reasonable stint in advertising, Cooley pursued and received his MFA in Photography, Video, and Related Media from the School of Visual Arts in NYC so that he could teach.

Before coming to Houghton, Cooley looked into and interviewed at several schools, but he said it was the students at Houghton that stood out to him because they were “easy to talk to and articulate;” students he wanted the chance to work with. After receiving and accepting the position at Houghton, Cooley and his family moved from New York City to Angelica, and he said that the transition was big, but that he was “ready to move on from the city.”

When asked what he hopes to bring to Houghton, Cooley said that he wants to bring an “NYC edge,” and introduce more conceptual art that will help in his goal of “pushing the boundaries of what people expect of art.” Additionally, he would like to see the number of photography classes grow to include more advanced classes that offer students the opportunity to specialize in areas such as lighting. Also important to Cooley is the relationship between the music and art departments. He hopes to help bring the departments together in combined performances, and said that there may be a collaboration with Professor Brian Johnson in the works for this year’s Christmas Prism.

Categories
Arts

“Diary of Love” Recital

www.houghton.edu

The recent faculty recital, Diary of Love Songs, featured Kelley Hijleh, voice, Sharon Johnson, piano, and Steven Thomas, violin. Martha Thomas, wife of Thomas, the violist, said that the recital was “a musical energy that has been birthed by love,” and according to Professor Kelly Hijleh- she has got it spot on.

Hijleh is the lead vocalist of Diary of Love Songs, and has been part of the Houghton faculty for 21 years. She said her hope for the recital was that to unite the campus through music. Hijleh said that this recital was more personal to her than previous recitals because it is, in effect, a story of her own relationship with her husband of 23 years. The recital featured two pieces written by her husband, Mark Hijleh. One, More Precious than Rubies, was first played at the couple’s wedding, and will be played once more, this time by Hannah Hijleh, the couple’s daughter. “Romantic love is a great gift from God” Hijleh said, “and I have attempted to share my life story.”

A member of the music faculty for 10 years, Johnson explained that this recital encompasses her relationships with dear friend Kelley Hijleh and her students. She said the recital was a special bond she was able to share with Kelley, and said the experience was one that enriched their friendship. Johnson also said that recitals help her to better communicate with her students by helping her to bridge the gap between musician and teacher. “I am not just a teacher but also a learner and that creates a holistic environment for students,” she said, “and that can be seen clearly when I perform on stage.”

“Music is very present in our life and in worship,” Thomas said, “ and when we worship we are closest to God.” Thomas said that the recital was a very exciting event for him and a strong expression of his own spirituality as he said, “I am most intimate with God when I play music.”

The recital was unanimously described to be “all about love.” A theme that is reflected both in the repertoire and the participant’s back stories. To begin, Hijleh and Johnson performed four Italian love songs from the 17th and 18th centuries. The first two selections highlight the beloved, while the third, a decidedly darker melody, “depicts love that is faithful in the face of faithlessness” according to Hijleh’s program note, and finally the fourth piece reflects the “fiery passion” that is “often depicted in love songs. Hijleh brought life to the lyrics with dramatic expression and a passionate delivery of the melody. Following the Italian selections, is another series of four pieces by Johannes Brahms. The themes of passion, fire, and love are present throughout, and Hijleh’s performance mirrored these well. Also on the program was Hijleh’s performance of an aria from the French opera, Louise, entitled “Depuis le jour.” It was an “exuberant” piece that Hijleh said “[captured] for [her] better than anything the feeling of being in love.

Categories
News

Sodexo Opens New Coffee Shop; Java 101 Closes

One of several changes actualized on campus over the summer involved a change in ownership of Houghton’s frequented coffeehouse Java 101, passing into the hands of Sodexo, Houghton’s current food service contractor. Greg Bish, the head of the student programs office and the previous owner of Java 101, explained the reasons behind the transfer. “I was looking into options for a transition with Java, and in the end I just decided to close Java.”  Among his reasons for the closure were his pursuit of a Ph.D. in Higher Education that would take away much of his time to run the business. “Last year I started a doctoral program that is a distance program, so I’m still here but taking classes,” explained Bish. However, this program also required him to attend two weeks of intense classes in California twice a year. Time spent outside of these classes had been balanced between his other work with the doctoral program, his duties as head of student programs, and, of course, running Java. To help with this, Bish hired Sharon Mulligan last year as manager to assist with the day-to-day tasks of running of Java 101.

Java_CMYKHowever, according to Bish, Mulligan had been hired at the Center of Academic Success and Advising (CASA) with Houghton this summer and he was “looking at what [his] options were with the coffee shop” as she left her job at Java 101. In the end, he decided to close the business.

Said Dr. Robert Pool, Vice President for Student Life, “In early July, Greg announced to me and to our business reps that he was interested in selling Java 101,” having been asked, “‘Would the college be interested?’” Pool approached Tina Powers, the General Manager of Sodexo on campus, during the first week of August to see if Sodexo was interested in buying the coffee shop from Greg.  After talking with the their regional cooperate office, “Sodexo came back mid-August and said they were not interested in buying.  We met with Greg and explained that right now [neither] the college nor Sodexo were buyers.  He had the option of continuing on this year operating Java 101, but we didn’t have a buyer,” Pool explained.  Bish stated that even though there still remained a year on his lease, he felt the need to move forward and allow the college to decide what to do with the space.

“[During] the first week of preseason, the college approached us…. We had some internal conversations and then approached the college and said we’d be interested, and we went on from there,” explained James Ward, Sodexo Catering Manager.  Ward said, “On the Wednesday of the first week of preseason we came to an agreement with the college that yes, we would open it up, and they gave us a go-ahead.”

Initial challenges for Sodexo included deciding on a product menu, working out the process of getting products to Houghton, and the logistics of staff and equipment. An agreement was reached that Wednesday, with ownership of the space being transferred the following Monday and the shop finally opening the next day with a limited menu for business.  “Currently we are waiting on our POS register which will allow the students to use their flex dollars, Big Al Bucks, credit cards, allow[ing] us to tie right back to the meal plan database.  The major piece of the puzzle is the espresso machine,” explained Ward.  The register was expected to arrive this week and the espresso machine in the weeks to come.

In this transition Sodexo had already fully staffed the coffee shop with around 75 student work hours available.  They will be “Proudly brewing” Starbucks’ full menu of teas, coffees, frappuccinos, cappuccinos, espresso, lattés, and mochas.  They also expected that to be serving Starbucks’ seasonal and specialty drinks, as well as providing Sodexo’s fresh-baked goods and the same FANS smoothies offered at Big Al’s.  Coffeehouse performances will continue as before.  The new hours for the coffee shop are; Monday through Thursday 7:30 am – 11 pm, Friday 7:30 am – 12:30 am, Saturday 9 am – 12:30 am Sunday 9 am – 11 pm.  A naming contest will be held in the near future to give the coffee shop an official name.

Categories
News

New Faculty Hired

timthumb

A week into the fall semester, new faces are everywhere—including amongst faculty. Departments across campus had hired or wanted to hire new professors this year, some departments to address a growing shortage of faculty members and others to fill the gaps left by recent retirees.

The education department filled four positions this year for a total of seven full-time faculty members. Last fall, the department had only three. Dr. Cathy Freytag, chair of the department, said all faculty members hired this year were “replacement hires that were necessary for [the department] to continue to deliver [the] current program.” The education department, she added, was “given priority with hires due to the significant faculty shortfall” and the need to show the Teacher Education Accreditation Council that the department is “fully staffed with highly-qualified faculty members.”

The chemistry department aimed to hire two more full-time faculty members, despite having not yet begun an official search. Dr. Karen Torraca, chair of the chemistry department, says that with just four full- and part-time professors the department is “still not offering [a] full range of courses” this year. She adds that the department “would like both new hires to be interdisciplinary with Biology” and for one professor to focus on courses for the growing biochemistry major.

Two faculty members joined the School of Music this academic year. During the past two years, they and one other faculty member filled positions left by three retiring professors. Dean Stephan Plate of the School of Music noted this is an “exciting time in the School of Music” as the new professors and “everyone who’s always been here” share their passions and their talents.

Categories
Opinions

Different Schools for Different Fools

Quote templateCollege has become a rite of passage in our society.  The Common Core Learning Standards, supported by the U.S. Department of Education and adopted by 45 states, places a strong emphasis on college readiness.  Middle school and high school teachers and career counselors feel obligated to convince young adults to attend postsecondary institutions by highlighting our crumbling economy. “No one gets a job these days without a college degree.”  We have all been forced to watch power points of the statistics that showcase the benefits of the academy.  Higher percentages of people with some sort of college degree get jobs.  The more advanced your degree, the higher your salary.  I would not be surprised by any recent graduate who felt slightly entitled to the jobs and salaries promised to them by these statistics.  (However, the fact that these statistics show up when I am considering paying more money to further my education makes me wonder about how the numbers are interpreted.)  College is becoming more and more necessary to an individual’s place in society.

Some blatantly suggest that the academy is the only option and that a postsecondary liberal arts education is the very best of that option.  I honestly have been told that choosing Houghton College was the best thing I could do for myself and for the world.  Can anyone truly come to know who they are and how they relate to the world without the reflective attitudes fostered at such an institution?  Others wonder whether the academy is worth the time and money that so many people commit to it.  Does academia really convince people to look and act outside of scholarly work and into real life and practice?  Or do most scholars eventually turn back to the books to solve the problems in which they have little to no actual experience?  Those who ask these questions consider the academy self-indulgent and irrelevant.

Some days, I appreciate my education here more than others and might be inclined to agree with the most committed scholars of the academy.  Other days, I cannot remember why I have submitted myself to the possibly meaningless endeavors of postsecondary studies.  Most days, I do not feel strongly in either direction.  Why question it at all at this point in my education?

Personally, academia has helped me to discover the kind of person I want to be.  It has been partly through my post-secondary studies that I have come to understand more fully what humanity, faith, and society are, and what they mean to me. This, I believe, affirms the merits of the academy.  However, I would never suggest that someone like my sister, who discovers every day through dance what it means to be human and relate to others, join the same academy I enjoy.  Or that my friend, who uses his natural mathematics abilities to create stage sets and build houses, should use his hands instead to write a scholarly article.  Perhaps there are majors and programs at post-secondary institutions that simply give people the degree they need to follow the work at which they will truly excel, the action that brings them life.  In such cases, colleges and universities become small stepping-stones rather than a way of scholarly life.  To some people, maybe more even than will admit it to themselves, academia simply fails to give life meaning the way our culture claims it will.

It is not my intent to depreciate the benefits or significance of the academy.  After all, I have continued my studies here at Houghton and have enjoyed much of it.  It is simply to challenge the pedestal upon which the academy rests in our society.  Are postsecondary studies intrinsically and universally good?  I think not.  The academy is not inherently good or evil; I have found few things in this world that are.  The goodness, usefulness, and purpose of anything will most often depend upon the personality and style of the one that chooses to invest in it.

Categories
News

Appointment of Dean Michael Jordan is “Slam Dunk” for College

Courtesy of www.houghton.edu
Courtesy of www.houghton.edu

After serving as Interim Dean of Chapel for the past semester, Dr. Michael Jordan has decided to accept the position permanently.

“I look forward to helping to shape Houghton’s spiritual life. I especially look forward to helping people see that our spiritual life is not something the administration creates for the students, but something that we create together as we give ourselves over to the rhythm of worship and work, study and rest, prayer and play.” said Dean Jordan.

Hailing from southern New Jersey, Jordan entered college at Houghton for undergraduate studies where he earned a B.A. in History and Bible with a minor in Linguistics. There he met his now wife, Dr. Jill Jordan, mathematics. After graduating from Houghton in 1999, he went on to attend Eastern Baptist (now Palmer) Theological Seminary where he graduated with a Masters in Divinity in 2002. He was a pastor at Exton Community Baptist Church in Exton, Pennsylvania from 2002 to 2009. During this time, he studied to receive his P.H.D. in Liturgical Studies from Drew University in Madison, New Jersey. In 2009, he left his position as a pastor to come back to Houghton after Jill was offered her current professorship.

Jordan enjoys working at the college in a position of religious leadership. He said,”I’ve always enjoyed both preaching and the academy. Pastoring had a lot of the latter without the former; the people in my church didn’t always get my drive to study. Teaching as an adjunct on the other hand is great, but doesn’t let me explore my full pastoral side. The dean position will be great in allowing me to mix and enjoy both the academic and pastoral parts of my role here at the college.”

Dean Jordan hopes to serve the community as a “spiritual tone setter.” He wants to take chapel in a direction that is more deeply liturgical with a focus on worship and connection with God. Instead of having a chapel focused on information, he wants to see one focused on formation. He plans to provide more opportunities for communication between students and chapel speakers.

Jordan’s view of chapel in the next year is one that moves away from a previously consumerism-like model. As it stands currently, students tend to choose which chapels they attend based on who is speaking, who is playing worship, or any other small aspect of the service and decide whether or not that chapel will interest them. In the future, Jordan wants to make chapel into a practice and experience that allows the students at Houghton to take some time out of their day to give back to God and refocus on His teachings.

He jokingly refers to this as taking time to “paint pictures for God’s refrigerator” through our worship and, more seriously, as taking the time to lift our voices up to Him and devote our hearts to His glory.

When asked what he enjoyed seeing this past semester in chapel, Jordan recalled several highlights including faith journeys, the gospel choir’s performances, and the support he has received from the students as he has taken on the position. He remarks that even the complaints about chapel that he receives do not give the impression that they are personal, but rather critical of the institution of chapel as a whole.

In some ways, this worries the Dean. He would like the chapel to move from being a faceless body and towards being an accessible and organic part of campus. While he has avoided shaping the structure of chapel in his interim period as the dean, Jordan hopes that he can more deeply integrate chapel into the lives of students as something they can openly discuss and feel that their opinions are heard.

When discussing how Houghton has changed since his time here (’95-’99), Jordan remarks that very little has changed. “There is still the same mix of academics and Christianity that was present when I attended,” he said. One change he notes is the increase in mobility and accessibility to the outside world. The college is a lot less isolated than it was in the past.

 

When asked about social justice movements at Houghton, Jordan replied,“I’m a social justice guy.” The seminary he attended is very well known for its unique focus on social justice, which has shaped his views on Christians in society. Defining his goals for social justice at Houghton, he wants to call out sin to rectify it and, in his words, “make a world here that Jesus will recognize as good when He returns.”

Academically, Jordan would like to see more engagement with students about social and political issues. One source of engagement he views as being successful is the meeting of panels on social issues including same-sex attraction and sexual assault. The topics of these panels are often controversial and harsh, but Jordan sees them as bringing about positive change through open discussion.

“I hope students find me invitational: I know that they will not always agree with what I say, or my ideas, but I’m very open to the input of others and want to help us find our best way together,” expressed Jordan.

Categories
News

Seniors Bid Farewell

The end of the semester is fast approaching, culminating on Saturday, May 11th with the Commencement of Houghton’s class of 2013.  Houghton will be saying goodbye to a diverse group of students with various majors and interests.  As this collection of individuals look ahead to the future, they also remember their experiences at Houghton.

Student athlete and senior, Mark O’Brien, commented on his participation on the men’s varsity basketball team as being definitive to his time at Houghton, having had a “camaraderie that is hard to replace.” He has been played on the basketball team since freshman year and attributes this part of involvement as having been influential to relationships he has made and the support he looks to as he prepares for graduation.

O’Brien is a business major with a Bible minor and thanks the business department for giving him direction. He said, “professors go out of their way to help you, give insight to the future and opportunities, and stretch you to try new things.”  To use the time spent at Houghton to the fullest, O’Brien said to “cast a broad net, and then narrow your interests to the things that you will enjoy the most.”

Alice Browning, a senior political science major with self-designed minors in human trafficking and supply chains and community development in an international context says that Houghton has influenced her world perspective.  Although her identity has stayed the same throughout her time as a student, Browning said, “I have been challenged to view the world in a more flexible and permeable way.”

An important aspect of Browning’s Houghton experience includes the time she has spent being able to explore many interests.  She said that she has learned that it is more important to “define the greater questions rather than being concerned with finding the answers.”  Next year Browning is planning on working with the Wesley Corps in Buffalo in helping with the resettlement of refugees.

Julian Cook, a senior studying religion and music describes Houghton as a place dedicated to self-discovery.  His experiences have greatly influenced his decision to attend Boston University of Theology in the fall and of pastoring, teaching, and leading in the future.  Cook has found the connection between his interests and said he sees the “value in traditional Christianity to not neglect questioning” as well as appreciating the “musician as a prophet and minister.” In looking back, Cook says to “endure past the questioning and get involved.”

Coming from a family of music teachers, senior music education major Maribeth Olsen said she initially chose Houghton for the  way she fit into the music program. Olsen said she has truly appreciated the ability to pursue activities outside of her major. This summer Olsen will have the chance to be a Highlander leader and is excited for this opportunity to interact with Houghton students after graduating.

Courtesy of Maribeth Olson
Courtesy of Maribeth Olson

As her time at Houghton draws to an end, Olsen has found it helpful to make a bucket list.  Her list includes the mundane and arguably for her the most rewarding, including: completing a Star crossword, getting on stage, sitting with Coach Smalley in chapel, going to Higgins’ Hole, and visiting the Red Barn.  Olsen is currently applying for various teaching positions and her search,” seeks small communities similar in their reciprocity to Houghton.”

For senior Sarah Jacoby, a double major in religion and humanities, off-campus programs have played a significant role in defining her passions and interests.  Jacoby spent a semester abroad during her freshman year as a participant in the London Honors Program.  She also participated in the City Semester Program in Buffalo for the spring semester of her junior year.  Both of these opportunities were “valuable and practical in making connections within [her] majors.”

Jacoby is hoping to work with Wesley Corps next year as well as other non-profit organizations in the future before attending graduate school.  With the approaching opportunities and possibilities, Jacoby looked back on the relationships she has formed at Houghton and said, “I have found people that I can return to – strong networks of people who are excited about my life.”

Senior Nathan White, having majored in intercultural studies with a double concentration in linguistics and TESOL, will be heading to Thailand this summer to do a graduate study in Linguistics.  While overseas, White will also be doing TESOL work and language development with people in “helping them to value their heart language.”

Entering Houghton as a transfer, White has found it to be a place where “intelligence and faith have a beautiful collision.”  He commented on his growth as an individual, not being afraid of the uncomfortable, embracing the awkward, and learning to be whole.  White attributes these qualities to those he has interacted with, including his host family in Tanzania, professors, and friends.  White said, “There are classrooms everywhere.  Behind every face there are glorious stories.”

 

Categories
News

Houghton College Equestrian Show Hosts Spring Shows

Courtesy of facebook.com
Courtesy of facebook.com

On April 20, the Houghton College Equestrian Center hosted its annual Western New York Dressage Association’s Challenge Series Show. This Saturday, April 27, the Equestrian Center will host its annual Spring Hunter-Jumper Show.

These two shows allow students to interact with outside riders, trainers, and judges every year. The Dressage Challenge Show is one in a series of shows, put on at different farms, that is sponsored by the Western New York Dressage Association (WYNDA), of which Professor Jo-Anne Young, Houghton’s Equestrian Program Director, is the Vice President.

Carrie Keagan, senior psychology major and equestrian minor, will be competing for her last time as a student at Houghton. She said, “The shows is a great chance for Houghton students to get a chance to compete against people outside of Houghton and see how they really match up against other riders. Most of us enjoy competing, and, as a group, we generally place very well in the classes.”

Last Saturday, students in Dressage, Competition Dressage, and those who practice and train outside of a class setting, competed on Houghton’s school horses. Students who board their own horses at Houghton have also competed in the past, but none chose to this year.

Historically, the highlight of the show is the Twelve-Horse Quadrille, which is a pattern ridden to music by twelve horse and rider pairs. Every spring semester, a different group of Houghton students learn the pattern and perform at the WYNDA Dressage show and at the Equestrian Program Senior Exhibition that will take place on May 10.

The first three levels of Dressage, Introductory, Training, and First Level were performed by many different riders at the show. The Junior High Scorer was Joanna Sudlow, riding one of Houghton’s schoolmasters, Entertainer. Kate Shannon, also riding Entertainer, placed first in the Senior Training Level One class, where she competed solely against riders not from Houghton College.

Dressage is one of the elements of the Equestrian sport that is performed at the Olympic level. Houghton teaches all its Equestrian majors the basic movements and theory behind the discipline, and, if they wish, students have the opportunity to learn movements that are performed at the Olympic level from Professor Young, if they choose to put in the time and perseverance.

Students from Horsemanship I to Mini-Prix Jumping Equitation (the highest level jumping academic course available to Houghton’s students) will be competing this Saturday. Classes will be offered in the under-saddle and over-fences categories. Under-saddle simply means that the horse and rider will compete with everyone else registered in their class at the same time and only have to go through the different gaits; there are no fences involved.

The spring Hunter-Jumper show also offers classes in both Hunter and Equitation categories. If the class is designated Hunter, then the horse and rider pair are judged only on what the horse does in the ring: the quality of its gaits and movement, its athleticism and conformation (or build), and several other technical factors. In an equitation class, the horse and rider pair are judged based upon the rider’s position and skills when riding, regardless of the horse, whether it behaves perfectly or takes off bucking.

The show ends with three jumper classes, which are not judged by the horse or the rider, but rather the speed that the pair can complete a course. The obstacles are higher and more complicated or distracting in jumper classes, and the goal is to leave all the fences untouched in the shortest amount of time.

Andrea Ypma, a senior, said, “The hunter-jumper show provides students a chance to show what they have learned over a variety of courses designed to test their skill.” Ypma has a vast knowledge of course design concepts and spent her internship at Thunderbird Equestrian Show Park in Canada, a facility that hosts high-level hunter-jumper competitions. She has helped to design challenging and interesting courses in the past.

Houghton’s Equestrian Center also hosts an annual USEF/USDF Recognized Dressage Show, a horse trial in the fall, which incorporates, dressage, showjumping and cross country, and a Christmas Hunter-Jumper Fun Show. All events are free to spectators, and the Equestrian students would love to see the rest of the college spend some time at the horse barn.

The program offers many excellent opportunities, the shows being just a few. Young said, “The Equestrian Program gives students a solid foundation in Equestrian Studies, based on the principles of classical dressage, and incorporating riding, teaching riding, training horses, and care of the horse. If you love  horses, and are willing to take the time and effort to learn to understand their culture and how to ‘speak their language,’  the amazing lesson horses at the Equestrian Center have some fantastic things to teach you.”